A Rain of Vengeance
by Stohne Rohse
Summary: In Beach City, odd events have been taking place. Pearl has left on a "secret solo mission" and a long lost friend has returned. Nobody suspects a thing of course. After all, Pearl was the only one who didn't trust her... Rated T for violence. DISCLAIMER IN FIRST CHAPTER
1. Prologue

**_I, Stohne Rohse, pledge that in no way am I claiming ownership, nor that I created the characters STEVEN UNIVERSE, PEARL, GARNET, AMETHYST, MR. FRYMAN, PEEDEE FRYMAN, RONALDO FRYMAN, SUGILITE in this story. I will never attempt to claim any monetary value nor financial gain from this story. My purpose for these stories is for writing practice in a peer-reviewed environment and for the enjoyment of the fans and users of this site only. _**

Even in a hundred year's time, never again did I think a forbidden and long lost secret would reemerge into the world. Never once did I consider the return of the dark one. I thought for sure after she disappeared, she was gone forever.

I know this world well. I've spent years upon years watching it transform. Watching its inhabitants change their minds time and time again. I have seen evil, but not evil like hers. She would go to incredible extents just to kill something. She would risk everything to get the chance to crush hope in the palm of her hand. Her soul is a swirling pool of chaotic spite that clatters and bangs at the cage that she calls a heart, wanting to be free so it can corrupt the world. Her name is Onyx.

She was a gem born on our home world. Raised on our rules, and trained to become a Crystal Gem. A guardian of humanity, like us. We traveled to Earth, and began our mission. A thousand or so years passed, and I began to doubt her purpose. Her spirit was sinister, and every word that parted her lips dripped with rancor. Every moment around her seemed like a life sentence. Her gem was black, hypnotizing, and it sapped the warmth from everything, leaving a trail of detestation wherever she went. To the others, every word I said seemed like a lie. As if Onyx could ever truly be one of us. I was ignored. All my fears were shut out, and I was isolated with my own mistrust.

And when I didn't think Onyx could get any worse, she simply vanished. The others were heartbroken, of course, and there was no trail or clue to where Onyx could have gone. To me, this seemed like a looming shadow over the humans had been exposed to the light. I felt at peace. Unfortunately, my peace did not last long. I continued to feel her gaze burn into the back of my head. I continued to hear her voice when I was alone. I fell into an infinite void of dark worry. A hundred long years slowly ticked by, and it finally seemed that Onyx was truly gone. I was fatally mistaken.


	2. A Dark Gem

The darkness clung to my skin in the frigid air of the cellar, and my every breath left a small white cloud in the open shadows. Frigid steel had a firm clasp on my wrists that had thick chains leading into the wall, keeping me trapped. I rested my exhausted body a moment before I once again struggled to break free from the frozen metal chains that had me strung to the wall, but only ended up causing a loud clatter in the empty room. I cursed under my breath. I shouldn't be making so much noise. I don't want Onyx coming back in here to 'check on me.'

I sighed, seating myself on the cold floor again and positioning myself so as not to irritate my broken leg. Just looking at it sent pain shooting through my entire body. Feeling my face twist up with pain, I forced myself to look away and think about something else. I flicked my gaze in every direction, and only found a wall of daunting gloom. Then, I heard the deafening shriek of the rusty iron door. My whole body tensed and I was forced to squint my eyes against the moonlight that poured in through the open door.

"Good evening, Pearl! Goodness, its cold in here!" Onyx called out from the front of the cellar, shutting the door behind her. I looked into her gem and immediately regretted it. It was sharp contrast from the rest of her face, and it made my body feel colder than it really was. "I wonder how it got so frosty in here?" Onyx exclaimed with fake surprise, snapping her fingers twice and motioning towards the darkness. Out of the wall of murk stepped another dark gem who had her head slightly tilted to the left. My body shuddered. _Melanite_. It's her fault I don't have access to my powers. I almost forgot she was standing in here watching me the whole time. Her gem was just as distinguished from the rest of her body as Onyx's. It was what replaced an entire left arm.

"Melon, make it warmer in here, would you?" Onyx asked, waving a hand in the air. Melanite's blank stare kept forward as she said nothing and brushed her only hand down her gem, illuminating the area and elevating the temperature. The warmth washed over me, and I knew to enjoy it while it was here. It would certainly not last long after Onyx had finally left. "That better?" Onyx asked, an abnormal expression in her only eye and a sinister smile plastered onto her face.

"W-what is it you want, Onyx?" I asked, feeling true fear in my heart and struggling to keep it out of my gaze. Fear is what she wants.

"Oh, you know. Oh, ho ho, you know, you know." She chuckled playfully, shaking her head. A shiver ran down my spine. Insanity was nothing to trifle with. "It's the same old thing as last time, Pearl." Onyx said, stepping forward towards me.

I shrank back against the wall, my heart beating madly in my chest. Onyx loomed over me, reaching a hand up to the gem on her eye, and pulling a long, black sword from it. I let out a small gasp. Onyx stood still for a moment before suddenly flashing forwards, piercing my chest with her blade. I let out a small cry of pain and as I did, I saw Melanite tremble with delight. Onyx left the blade embedded in my chest just long enough for a crimson rose to bubble and bloom around it's blade. The blood of a Gem shouldn't ever be drawn...Such darkness...such corruption had been induced upon me.

Then, slowly, she drew the blade out and ran a black tongue across the blade's point, licking up the blood as if it was some sort of claret syrup. After just a moment of this, she ran two fingers down the blade so the remainder of the blood would dribble down into a small vial.

Then, the blade vanished, and Onyx tossed the vial of my essence to Melanite, whose blank eyes went wide with hunger as she caught the bottle in her only hand. Onyx smiled at me.

"Now, sleep well, Pearl. Oh, and tomorrow, I won't be able to come by to visit you, I've decided to go back and see Garnet and Amethyst again after such a long time! Yay! Oh, yes, and I'm going to go meet that little troublemaker. Steven, was it? Imagine this, Pearl. We're going to be the best of friends! Are you imagining?" Onyx said with a jovial tone while her facial expression was grim. I bit back a plead in fear of somehow perturbing Onyx into injuring me further.

"Ta-ra, my dear. Come, Melon. We want Pearl to get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow's going to be a big day!" Onyx exclaimed, grinning maliciously before skipping out the open door, with Melanite slowly following behind her. The door slammed, and the temperature immediately dropped. I shivered, feeling my own cold blood pool around me. I fought my sadness for just a few moments before the heartache overwhelmed me and I felt tears pool into my eyes. I can't believe I let this happen. I can't believe I was so foolish. Onyx was never really gone...why didn't I see that?

I wrapped my arms around myself and curled up as tight as I could. Waves of pain shot through my whole body, centered on the fountain of blood on my chest. The sticky red liquid only made my sun-deprived skin colder, and I began to shiver, craving the warmth that was just here a mere moment ago.

I missed everyone so much...Steven...the Gems...It seemed like it had been forever since I last saw them. I wanted to see Amethyst...even if she was a mess...and Garnet...oh, Garnet...she made me feel safe...she made me feel important...she made me feel loved.

Thinking of Garnet only brought me more misery. I had loved her for so long, and I never even had the guts to tell her, even after all this time. I was probably going to die in here, without ever telling Garnet how I felt. But what about Steven? If Onyx has truly gone mad, what could this mean for him? Was Onyx going to kill him? More tears streamed down my cheeks. And Amethyst...she won't be able to handle that loss...the Crystal Gems are going to fall apart.

We're all going to die, and it's all my fault.


	3. She's Back?

The air was calm and quiet as the sun slowly rose over the horizon, beginning a new day. I stopped myself in the familiar sands of the beach to watch the bright ball of light rise up over the ancient temple statue. Even through one eye, it was a sight to behold. I had not seen the sunrise in over a hundred years.

A hundred years spent living underground, planning my exodus with careful precision. Everything worked out just as it should have. I came out in the late hours of the night, then was in and out of the temple in 10 seconds flat, with an unconscious Pearl strung over my shoulder where I could quickly tuck her away in my cellar, where she would never see the light of day again.

Of course I would still come to visit her, though. Pearl was one of my favorite people. Her white skin and lips...she was the only one who I truly loved. I kept trying to remind myself not to mortally wound her so that we could have a bit of fun later, but her cries of pain were overall more exciting. The later the better, I suppose. I looked up at the sky, seeing the sun slowly climb higher and higher. The others should be awake by now.

I stalled a moment, then began my slow approach up the stairs of the small house. I didn't remember this being here a hundred years before, but I figured they must have built it for the newest tyke. I bit my tongue with my pointed teeth anxiously, and slowly approached the small door and glanced in with my only eye. There was no one in sight right now, but I did hear a conversation somewhere within, meaning the time was right. I reached a hand up to the door and knocked three times. All sound ceased. I felt my heart racing deep in my chest. Footsteps rang out through the house, and the door swung inwards, slightly startling me. The one to answer the door was Amethyst.

It had been a long time, and not a feature about her had changed. She stared a moment with a look of profound surprise for a moment before a smile crept onto the purple gem's face. "Onyx?" She asked.

"Hello, Amethyst!" I exclaimed, returning the grin.

"Oh man! This is so crazy! I can't believe you're back! Garnet! Yo, G!" Amethyst called, running back inside the house, her white hair streaming behind her. I let myself in, shutting the door behind me and examining the details of the house. There was a grand painting of Rose Quartz just above the other door and it was messy as you would expect it to be. Red shirts with stars printed in the middle were scattered all over the floor. I took a moment to realize that it was messy only because of Pearl's absence. I grinned to myself, not taking my eyes off Rose's painting.

"WHOA! _Who_ are _you_?!" A young voice exclaimed from behind me, shattering my grin. I whipped around, wide-eyed to face the being whose voice had sudden lashed out at me with such excited curiosity. What I saw was a little boy wearing a shirt that was identical to the shirts on the floor behind me. Red with a star. His eyes were wide, but not with fear. I took some offence to this, and crossed my arms. I would refuse speak to this boy until he had some significance to me.

"Onyx...?" I heard Garnet's voice. I averted my gaze from the boy to the tall, bulky character standing behind him.

"Ah...Garnet...yes..." I felt my blood go cold. I shifted nervously under her gaze, but I forced a smile onto my face. I was daunted, but I was defiant to appear so.

"You're... back. How did you get here? Where did you go?" Garnet asked with a monotone voice. I tilted my head slightly.

"Not important. I'm back now, aren't I?" I responded quickly, not wanting to reveal anything critical to my plans. Garnet said nothing more, but instead stared at me, her true gaze hidden between her mystery shades.

"Garnet, who is that?" The boy asked, examining my features carefully. I kneeled down to look him in the eye, hoping my black gem would intimidate him.

"My name is Onyx. Yours, human?" I asked him, hoping to appear somewhat dangerous.

"My name's Steven. But I'm not a human, I'm a Crystal Gem!" Steven exclaimed happily, not showing any signs of hesitation. Confusing, it was.

"You _are_ a Gem, Steven, but you're technically half-human, too." Garnet corrected him. I stood up and backed up a step.

"Oh, so _you're_ Steven! The spawn of Rose Quartz! My apologies..." I said halfheartedly. I examined him further, straining my memory to locate any resemblance to Rose Quartz, but finding none at all.

"So, Onyx, how've you been? We've been pretty okay. Nothing's changed. Pearl's a bit batty now, but otherwise..." Amethyst said, pushing her way past Garnet. My eye lit up at the mention of Pearl's name.

"Speaking of which, where is Pearl?" Steven asked, looking at Amethyst.

"Still out on that special mission." Amethyst asked, putting air quotes around 'special.' I grinned at how well I had prepared this plan. Planting a note here in the temple in Pearl's handwriting. I even managed to get Garnet to believe my phony evidence. As far as they're concerned, Pearl is out on the other side of the world, saving a continent. Taking advantage of another's friends _was_ one of my specialties, after all...

"Well, we're glad to have you back. I suppose you'd like to rest here and start coming back into terms with how we do things, right? You do want to rejoin us and be a Crystal Gem again?" Garnet asked, crossing her arms. I desperately tried to read her expression, but found it impossible, same as always.

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course, of course!" I giggled. For just a moment, I saw Steven and Amethyst exchange confused glances. Perhaps my new personality wasn't suited to what they were used to. All aside, they would have to get used to me sooner or later.

"Excellent. Welcome back." Garnet said slowly, walking off while Amethyst quickly became bored and followed her. I bit back a savage grumble at how easily they were to dismiss my arrival and scowled at their backs as they left.

"So you're Onyx. Did you ever live on the Gem Planet? What's it like?" Steven immediately started asking me questions, even though I was obviously not in the right mind to want to answer.

"It was a long time ago, and I can't remember." I lied, attempting to smile and finding it to be very arduous.

"What's your weapon? Can I see it?" Steven asked, dropping the previous question without a trace. My smile immediately became real. I took great pride in Tabar, and I enjoyed feeling it's handle in my grip.

"Why yes! Yes, you can." I responded, taking a step back from him. His eyes lit up and he gasped excitedly. I focused my mind and held my hand up to my gem. I felt the rush of power through my body as my hand gripped something at the tip of another dimension and I pulled Tabar forth, it's black blade slicing the air as it arrived.

"WHOA!" Steven exclaimed, admiring my weapon. I chuckled to myself. He wouldn't find it too awe-inspiring when I have it shoved through his gullet.

"If I'm not mistaken, yours is a shield, is it not?" I asked him, leaning on my blade as if it were a cane.

"That's right! I can't summon it yet, though. The only times I've ever seen it were when I summoned it on accident." The boy confessed. My heart rose. He was more vulnerable than I thought.

"That's too bad. Once you get the hang of it, you'll never want to put your weapon down again. The feel of summon, it's too exciting. The power...rushing through your hands and into your very being...you'll love it. Trust me." I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible as I let the blade melt into nothing in my hands.

"Wow." Steven said, lifting up his shirt a bit and gazing down at the pink gem on his bellybutton.

"Steven! We're going out, you comin'?" Amethyst called from the warp pad in another room. A pang of confusion travelled its way up my spine. I had just gotten back, and they didn't invite me to come with them on a mission? Very peculiar. Perhaps they want me to rest.

"A mission? Oh, cool! I'm coming, I'm coming! See ya, Onyx!" Steven cried, running off inside. I didn't respond, but rather held my grin up until I heard the warp pad activate and all noise cease. I was alone now.

I chuckled to myself. "Oh, Rose, how could you be so foolish," I mused, looking up at the painting of Rose Quartz. "He's nothing like you, and he'll never be like you. What did you get out of him, hmm? Nothing. Nothing at all. And when I have his head mounted on a pike, the Rose Quartz legacy will end. For good." I laughed again, swinging the door open and slamming it behind me. As I walked away, I heard the painting above the door hit the floor and shatter. I had no shame, nor would I ever. The Gems would fall, oh yes, fall at my hands. I was looking forward to making them weak, especially the small one. I would kill him, then present his lifeless body to Pearl. Oh, what would she do, I wonder? I would have to wait and see.

I walked down the beach and turned the corner behind the temple. Melanite was just where I told her to wait. "Melon, dear, did you do as I asked?" I called out to her, scanning the areas behind her, but not seeing anything. This made me slightly angry, but I would keep it contained until I knew for sure she had not followed my orders. Melanite did not respond in any way. Just as I was about to scold her, three figures stepped out of the temple's shadow. I jumped at first, afraid the Gems had returned and had found me out.

Instead, I was greeted with something a little different. These _were_ the Gems, but vaguely unlike. Three copies, one of Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet stood in front of me, not saying anything, but eyeing me suspiciously. I walked around the three of them, examining them carefully. Irises had become red, teeth had become pointed, and stars had become x's. Anti-Gems in their purest forms. I had never seen such forbidden magic attempted so flawlessly. Melanite truly was a brilliant companion. "Excellent, excellent! I'm very proud of you, Melon!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands together.

"Who are you?" The Anti-Pearl asked harshly. I looked at her, then found my gaze locked in hers. She was almost exactly like the real Pearl by appearance, but her tone had a certain bitterness that the real Pearl did not. An unpleasant aura surrounded her and the other two Antis behind her.

"My dearest, my name is Onyx." I responded jovially. The Anti stared at me, then shifted her gaze onto Melanite and back to me. Then she said nothing. I smiled, then examined the other two. Anti Garnet stared straight ahead, while Anti Amethyst stared right at me curiously. I stared for a moment longer, then felt my mind cloud. An abnormal power signature flickered through my senses, emanating from the two. "You two don't seem like much to me..." I whispered, staring backwards at Melanite.

Something about the Garnet and Amethyst copies did not seem as awe-inspiring as the real versions. "Melon, dear? These two...are they...defective?" I asked unsurely, glancing back at the two Antis who were now staring defensively at me. Melanite shook her head, then stepped forwards. "No? Well, they're certainly not enough..." I said. My mind began to race as I attempted to think of a way we could keep them rather than disposing of them. Doing such would be a waste of power. Then I thought of Sugilite. The colossal fusion that is created when Garnet and Amethyst become one. I had only seen her twice, but I knew that an Anti with her type of power would be a valuable weapon.

"Melon? Can copies fuse?" I asked her, a fabulous plan already starting to manifest in my mind. Melanite nodded slowly. My grin creased further up onto my face. "An Anti-Sugilite...of course..." I mused, stepping forward, closer to the two Antis. "My dears...I need you to do something for me..." I began, raising my hands in front of Anti-Garnet and Anti-Amethyst.

"Anything, master. Anything at all." Anti-Garnet said with a monotone voice as she bowed her head to me. My heart fluttered at the word 'master.' I had never been called such a word before, and it felt good to have some authority for once.

"You and Amethyst over there. Will you two fuse for me?" I asked, rubbing my hands together and grinning at them.

"Why?" Anti-Amethyst asked quickly, her voice cracked with a juvenile curiosity. I snapped my gaze onto her in one swift movement.

"Don't want more power? Don't you crave it? If you two fuse, you will have more power than you could ever need. That and because I told you to." I hissed. Anti-Amethyst flinched under my harsh words and bowed her head, submitting to me immediately. "Better. Now, I'm sure you know how to fuse, yes?" I said, trading my glare for a smile as I looked back to Anti-Garnet. The red gem lookalike simply nodded. "Good, good! Amethyst and Garnet...fuse for me." I instructed the two Antis, stepping back and crossing my arms, eager to see how they do it. Anti-Sugilite...this will be the ultimate weapon. The Gems will never be able to stop me.


	4. The Anti Malfunctions

An imaginary thud shuddered me awake. I sat up too fast and sent a jolt of pain down my shattered leg. Grimacing, I took a moment to realize that the cellar did not seem quite as cold as it did last time I was awake. It must finally be daytime. I looked around the area around me and found my blood had dried, leaving a crusty brown substance stuck to my body. I groaned with disgust and tried to scrape it off. After a few moments of toil I gave up, leaving plenty of it everywhere.

I sighed, pulling my good leg to my body and curling up into a ball. I heard the door open and I watched as shining golden rays poured in through the opening. My heart ached to feel the light on my cold skin, but I was more worried about who had just come in. I was expecting Onyx, but instead, I was greeted with someone different. She was tall and had four arms, meaning she was a fusion. Her hair was long, black, and curled and she wore dark purple clothing and shades that reminded me of Garnet. The most distinctive feature that I noticed was the gems on her chest and hands. Garnet and Amethyst? No...it couldn't be...she's not Sugilite...

I watched curiously as she entered the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Yuck. Dark and cold." She muttered to herself with a bitter tone. Then, she clapped her hands together, just as Onyx would have done, and the room became brighter and warmer. When she looked over at me, she let out a disgusted hiss. "Oh, how vile! What are you doing in here? Oh, wait. Wait, wait, wait. You're Pearl, aren't you?" The Fusion asked angrily.

"Yes." I croaked weakly, attempting to appear stronger than I really was but finding it to be futile against her unbroken glare.

"Well I'm Hackmansite and I'm not gonna be leaving anytime soon." She spat, crossing her four arms. "You got something to say, you say it to my face. No back sass or Ill tear you in half. Got it?" She growled at me. I shrank back against the wall, daunted under her invisible gaze. "I said GOT IT?" She shouted into my face, making my ears ring. Such a sudden change of treatment. If this continued, I might have a nervous breakdown.

"Y-y-yes-!" I stuttered, expecting a blow any moment. To my relief, the Fusion did not feel the need to strike me. The last thing I needed was another injury.

Hackmansite stood staring at me for a moment longer before turning her back on me and walking to the far side of the cellar and sitting down, watching me assiduously. I shifted uneasily under her gaze and felt my eyes tear up. Now there was no chance I would ever escape. "Tsk tsk. Poor Pearl. Such a pitiful sight. Why did Onyx pick you, hmm?" Hackmansite taunted, her voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard and her words stinging like the biting edge of a sharpened blade.

"I-I-I d-don't-t know-w..." I whispered faintly, choking on my sobs. Hackmansite barely stifled a smirk before breaking out into a crowing cackle, sounding like the raucous calls of a hundred ravens.

"Oh, boo-hoo. Look at you. You're nothing. You aren't a Gem. You could barely qualify as a human. You're gutless and weak. Waah! Cry some more, it's fun to watch." Hackmansite goaded. I could barely stand to look at her. My vision blurred through tears and I hid my face in my hands, wishing it would all go away. The darkness of the cellar, Hackmansite's malicious hooting, and the sorrow of knowing my time was coming to an end. Onyx wanted control over me...and now she had it.

"I can't believe it! Why didn't it work? Melanite, this is all your fault!" I hissed, stamping around in circles. Such was the only way I could contain my rage. I wanted blood, but now was certainly not the time to visit Pearl. Melanite did not respond, but the widening of her eyes signaled that she was just as aghast as I was. I managed to keep my hateful dissatisfaction with how the Fusion turned out until Hackmansite was long gone. Rather than Sugilite, the Antis fused to become Hackmansite, a powerless imperfection. Such failures did not rest well in my heart, and I was on the brink of vehemence against one of my own.

"Quit your cryin'. So what if it didn't work? Ya got Hackmansite, dont'cha?" Anti-Pearl chimed in with a pretend accent from her spot leaning up against the hill, lighting a cigarette. Whipping around to face her, I growled at how she had simply left me to meddle in human affairs. She had adorned imprudent human garments and gathered destructive human drugs then expected extol for indirectly disobeying my orders. I felt my face darken and I could not hold back an odious retort.

"Hackmansite is nothing compared to Sugilite, Anti. Sugilite is powerful and awe-inspiring! Hackmansite is stunted, and a worm, and a weakling, just as you are." I hissed at her. Anti-Pearl stared at me with a confused look which quickly became indifferent as she blew a puff of black smoke into the air.

"Can't you just tell 'em to separate?" She asked. That was enough to tip me over.

"NO! Just how thick _is_ your skull, really?! Do you really think me an imbecile? I already tried that! They are stuck as Hackmansite _permanently!_" I howled, my temper lost. Anti-Pearl looked taken aback by my outburst, but her indifferent look slowly returned, and she looked away, sucking in another breath of smoke. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and looked to Melanite.

"Now, Melanite, since that has been taken care of, you must make yourself hidden. I shall require your help later, but until then, lay low and wait for my summons. I must return to the other Gems. Anti-Pearl?" I commanded, snapping my gaze back onto the Anti.

"What." She responded rather rudely, blowing smoke into my face. I hissed, baring my sharpened teeth at her.

"You know what to do, don't you?" I snarled, my anger already beginning to return.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatevs. I'll be there, don't worry 'bout it." Anti-Pearl attempted to assure me. I huffed, appalled at what lack of respect this Anti had for me.

"Good. Leave now. Hee hee, I have business to attend to! Ta-ra!" I chortled, becoming much happier. I only turned to look behind me once as I bounded towards the temple entrance. Melanite had already gone and Anti-Pearl was nonchalantly sauntering her way down the road to Beach City. So far everything was going as planned. Revenge was going to be sweet.

The afternoon was warm, and nothing was going on. I tried to keep my mind off anything strenuous, but somehow my mind kept wandering back to Pearl. Where is she? What is she doing? Is she okay? I couldn't help but worry about my small pallid friend. I was the only one who went on solo-missions regularly, and going out on her own was something very unlike her. However, I could not deny the message she left here. If Pearl wanted to take the initiative and go on a mission by herself, I could easily respect that. Still, I wonder why she wanted to go lacking assistance.

Another mystery worked itself into my usually calm mind. Onyx had returned, but where had she been? It's not normal for Gems to disappear for a hundred years and suddenly come back. Could she be planning something? I scolded myself for thinking this way. Onyx is a Crystal Gem. We can trust her. I know we can.

"Garnet! Yo, Garnet!" I heard Amethyst call from outside. My thoughts evaporated. "We got a problem in town!" Amethyst ran inside with a serious expression.

"What is it?"

"I dunno, Onyx says we got some meddling. We don't know who or what it is, but it's a Gem worthy mission, so come on!" Amethyst explained, running back outside. I followed, saving my breath. When I reached the sands of the beach, Onyx and Amethyst were waiting for me.

"Hey! Hey, wait up, you guys!" Steven called, running down the stairs as fast as he could. I stifled a smile. Such a little klutz the boy was. "I wanna come too!" He cried, standing in between me and Amethyst. In my peripheral vision, I saw Onyx smirk in an unnerving way, but I wasn't about to let it bother me for long.

Amethyst and I exchanged glances before I nodded to him. The boy beamed.

"Thanks, Garnet! I'll stay out of the way, I promise!" He said to me. As we rushed towards the small town, none of us said anything. As we strode, step by step into the heart of the city, the civilians cries of help were heard. In the nearby distance, I saw a small, shivering shape curled up on the warm pavement. I skidded to a halt in front of the boy to see the youngest Fryman son. "What's going on? Where is it?" I asked him, already impatient for an answer. The boy was sobbing and I could barely understand anything he was saying.

"M-m-my d-dad! S-she h-hurt-t h-him!" He stuttered, choking on his cries.

"Peedee?" Steven asked sadly, stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder. Everything seemed to slow down as Steven did this and I reflected quickly upon Steven's resemblance to Rose Quartz. I often forgot he had any, but his kind heart was an obvious trait of his long-gone mother.

"Who? Where is _she_?" I asked, shaking myself out of my daydream and instinctively summoning my gem weapon. The heavy gauntlets felt powerful on my hands, and I felt the rush of my desire for a battle run up my arms. The boy didn't answer, but he turned to look in the direction of his brother, who was equally terrified as he turned the corner.

"PEEDEE!" Ronaldo screamed, running up to Peedee and throwing his arms around the sobbing young boy. "It's ok, I'm here." He whispered, his voice shaky.

"What's going on around here?" Amethyst cried, drawing her whip. My gaze darted warily everywhere, and I was becoming concerned for an explanation as to what was going on. Lives were now in danger, and it was urgent that someone gave me an answer immediately. I couldn't help them unless they helped me. Amongst all the chaos, Onyx said nothing. She stayed ominously silent as the turmoil unfolded. Then a white van turned the corner. The human vehicle was driving recklessly and fresh blood was smeared across the hood.

It stopped for just a moment, then suddenly revved up and sped directly for Peedee and Ronaldo. I acted on instinct and dashed out in front of the van, holding out my hands. The van's hood crumpled like paper when it came in collision with my powerful gauntlets, and I felt myself be driven backwards by its force. An automobile was no match for me.

"Go! Now!" I yelled behind me to the two brothers.

"Thank you so much!" Ronaldo called out, taking his brother's hand and rushing off to safety. I drew my fists back from the crushed van and ejected them outwards immediately in a devastating punch that sent the heap of metal flying backwards until the tires stopped it. I took a step back to stand by Amethyst, naturally keeping Steven behind me. Then a silhouette stepped unharmed out of the van. When the smoke cleared, I recognized her at first as Pearl.

"Pearl! Hey, Pearl! You're back!" Steven cried happily, running past me and throwing his arms around the Pearl-lookalike's legs.

I swept my eyes over her and saw that she was vaguely unalike the real Pearl. Her hair was slightly jostled and her attire resembled that of a seditious human adolescent. Worst of all, her eyes were piercing red. "No, Steven, wait! She's not Pearl!" I yelled. Then, I heard the Pearl lookalike scoff and backhand Steven into a stop sign without a drop of remorse.

"Steven!" Amethyst called out, dashing to his side. Steven appeared dazed and a thin trickle of blood ran down from his nostril to his mouth.

"P-Pearl..." He muttered as his eyes closed. Burning fury flared up into my heart. I whirled my glare back onto the lookalike only to see her lighting a cigarette as if nothing had happened.

"Who are you?!" I demanded, barely keeping my rage contained. The hoax Pearl stuck her cigarette in between rows of pointed teeth and then looked at me with a look that lacked fear.

"Anti-Pearl. Did ya get that, square-head?" She insulted. Something about her voice unnerved me, like a thousand shards of ice had gotten stuck inside me, freezing me from the inside. An Anti Gem? What in the world was that? It shouldn't be possible. The driving force of this evil was definitely a powerful foe, fueled by darkness. "What, you're probably wondering what I'm doing, arent'cha?" She asked, walking back towards her crushed van and wiping a bit of the blood off the hood.

"Well, yeah!" Amethyst exclaimed, not leaving Steven's side and looking as angry as I felt.

I readied myself for an answer. For a name that would begin my search to find out who was behind this. Behind the cruelty and the bloodshed. Instead, Anti-Pearl snickered.

"Too bad." She laughed, reaching a hand up to her gem. From the gem, she drew a black spear. A spear as black as night, as dark as obsidian. I immediately thought of Pearl. Her spear and her grace. Then I realized that I missed her. I missed her more than anything. And now I was fighting her evil copy. Such irony.

"Show me what'cha got, Garnet!" Anti-Pearl exclaimed, crouching into a battle stance. I was the first to act, dashing forward, drawing my fists back for a blow. I threw them both outwards in a flawless attack, but only finding open air at the end of my attack. Spinning around, I saw Anti-Pearl behind me. "Try again." She mocked. I lunged again, ready to strike. I missed again. Biting back a curse, I whirled around in every direction to find my victim. She would not escape me so easily. Then I felt the cold bite of a sharp blade scour my back. Grunting with pain, I spun around, managing to land a hit.

I felt my gauntlets make contact with the Anti's left jaw and the impact sent her flying to the side. I quickly jumped back, running a hand lightly down my back and drawing it back only to see a deep red claret liquid dribbling down off my gauntlets. It had been a long time since I last saw my own blood. The rank stench of it was debilitating, but I readied myself for another attack. I was stronger than this, and I wasn't about to lose.

Just a few feet away from me the Anti clambered to her feet, her jaw looking mangled from my hit. Her left eye was swollen and beginning to close. She stood staring at me for a moment longer before a malevolent grin twisted onto her injured face. "Its gonna take a lot more than that to beat me." She scorned. I raised my fists.

"Then you move first." I retorted. She began to run towards me, holding her spear behind her. I readied my hands for a parry, but instead, she vanished again. This threw me off just long enough for her to land a stinging hit on my face with the back of her ebony black spear. Great waves of pain moved through my face and then I felt the warm flash of sunlight into my eyes. She had broken my glasses. In my temporary blinded state, I lashed out in front of me and successfully hit Anti-Pearl again. As my gauntlet sank into her gut, I felt her breath on my exposed face as I knocked the wind out of her, throwing her backwards.

I slowly opened my eyes, only to see her kneeling just a few feet away from me. She was coughing and only held up now by her spear. "T-that's all you've got?" She rasped, gulping in breaths of air. I took a step forward, angrier than ever, and drew my fist back for a finishing attack. Anti-Pearl shrank close to the ground, her expression immediately melting into panic. Then, briefly, I saw the Anti as the real Pearl. Cowering before me, as if I was some kind of monster. I hesitated a moment, then brought my fist down.

"Get out of here." I spat, taking a step back. Anti-Pearl immediately scrambled to her feet and took off towards the beach, never looking back. I stood a moment longer, watching to make sure she was truly gone, then turned around, only to see the entire town watching me with awe. I stared back then angrily stepped through, not wanting to speak to anyone. When I reached the back of the crowd, I saw that Steven had awoken, and he was busy trying to help the Fryman father, who looked broken beyond repair, laying a pool of blood with what looked like three broken ribs. His two children, Peedee and Ronaldo looked crushed, their eyes cracked with anguish.

I watched as Steven went over each of the man's wounds, drawing a hand to his mouth each time and summoning his healing spit. After just a moment of this, the Fryman father opened his eyes and his children exclaimed in relief. They both hugged him at the same time, and upon hearing him cry out with pain, retreated immediately. I sighed quietly to myself, glad beyond comprehension that this event had not claimed any human lives. I had always known that if there was ever a death during one of our battles, we would be blamed for it. Each of us knew how fragile the humans were.

"Garnet...w-what happened? W-why did Pearl..." Steven asked, sounding exhausted.

"That was not Pearl. It was a fake." I explained to him, kneeling down to speak with him.

"Garnet...you're bleeding..." Amethyst said, sounding concerned. I held a hand up to my back once again, hissing with pain and drawing my hand back quickly.

"I'll be fine. We need to get Steven back to the temple. Let's go." I said, picking up the fatigue-stricken boy gently, ignoring the screaming pain in my back.

"If you say so." Amethyst said unsurely, following close behind me. I kept the boy as comfortable as I could in my bloodstained arms, but when I saw Onyx, I tensed. The black gem was standing in the shadow of a building, and the look she had on her face made my blood run cold and my heart skip a beat. Her expression was painted with umbrage. A sickening, angry grin was twisted onto her face like the branches of an old, dead tree. A deathly glare mixed with a maddened smile. Quickly dismissing Onyx's expression as a fatigue illusion, I turned my gaze forward and ignored all outside distractions. Something strange was going on, and we needed to find out what.


	5. Blind

The day passed quickly as I waited. I waited and waited and waited until the sun completed its slow journey across the sky and behind the distant hills. I waited until the staring eyes at the bloody battlefield went home. Home to where they thought they were safe. When I was sure I was alone, I followed Anti-Pearl's trail of blood and uneven footprints to a collapsed figure on the beach. The Anti that I had created to slay Garnet lay before me as a failure.

"Pearl...I have to say, I'm quite disappointed in you..." I spoke grimly, standing over her with my arms crossed. She looked up at me with a dreading expression in her one good eye.

"O-Onyx? Did you not see that battle? That Garnet...she's too powerful! I didn't have a chance! Were you sending me to my death?" She growled at me. I felt my eye twitch with anger.

"No, fool! Your job was to finish her! You have failed me!" I exclaimed, baring my fangs.

"No, _you_ must be the fool. You _knew_ how powerful she was. You could have killed her yourself, but instead you sent me! You _did_ send me to my death!" Anti-Pearl accused, standing up shakily. I hesitated a moment before shaking my head and drawing Tabar from my gem. Anti-Pearl's red eyes followed my movements.

"W-what are you doing?" She asked, taking a slow step backwards.

"You have only one choice here, Anti. I will give you to the count of three. In this three seconds, you will run away and never come back. If I ever see you again, I will kill you. Now go. One..." I began my countdown. Anti-Pearl gasped in horror, then took off running as fast as her injured body could muster. "Two..." I said, grinning evilly. "THREE!" I said early, teleporting behind her and impaling her through the chest.

Her eyes widened with pain and she screamed with agony. I smiled, getting close to her. "I lied." I whispered. Then, her body exploded into a plume of black smoke, and her white gem clattered to the ground. I knelt to pick it up, then stopped myself. She was too valueless to be allowed to heal. I stood up straight then held my foot just a short distance above the gem before harshly bringing it down, hearing the gem crunch under my force. I ground the white powders into the ground a little more before stepping back and admiring my work.

"Such a waste." I snickered to myself. I turned my back on the remains of the Anti-Pearl I had Melanite create and walked off towards my cellar. I had so see how the real Pearl was doing. Hopefully Hackmansite was doing a good job watching her for me. I froze dead in my tracks and frowned. I should have sent Anti-Garnet to kill the real Garnet. Instead, I had Hackmansite. And now they were stuck. How stupid of me. I growled to myself and resumed my short journey to my secret crypt.

When I finally reached the cellar, I pressed a hand against the door and pushed it open. The room was lighter and warmer than I had left it. This made me slightly unhappy, but if Hackmansite wanted it that way, it would stay that way.

"Hello, friends!" I exclaimed, shutting the door behind me. Pearl was fast asleep against the wall and Hackmansite was watching her very intently.

"Good evenin', Onyx." Hackmansite responded, turning her head to look at me with her invisible gaze. I gave her a brief smirk, then glanced over at Pearl. She didn't have any new wounds, and her face was twisted into a forlorn expression. "Everything's fine. She cried for a bit, but then she was out like a light." Hackmansite reported.

"Ahh, good. Good to hear." I complimented, keeping my voice low. Then a whimper from Pearl startled both of us into snapping our gazes on her. She had begun shivering, and her sleeping expression was frightened. A grin appeared on my face. Nightmares. My favorite thing to watch.

"Oh, yeah. And she's been having nightmares, too." Hackmansite commented, watching Pearl. I grinned ear to ear and stepped forward to stand over her. She tossed and turned in her sleep and the chains that bound her to the wall jangled as she did. I knelt down to her and grasped her face in the most gentle way I could. I stared at her sleeping face for a moment before I forced her lips onto mine. I kissed the sleeping white gem with all the happiness I had. She deserved it, after all. A kiss from her captor. How exciting. I released her from my lips and stepped back. Still unhappy. How sad. Poor little Pearl's not having the best time of her life in here. But, it's all for the better. Tomorrow, we begin the real fun. Starting with Steven. And like they always say...if you want something done right...

You do it yourself.

The moon was bright, and it reflected off my newly fixed glasses as I stared out the window. Thoughts buzzed in and out of my mind like a hive of busy bees. Something strange was going on and I somehow think Pearl's absence has something to do with it. It's been an entire month and a half since Pearl left. In this absence, Onyx had reappeared, and Beach City had been attacked by an Anti-Gem. And that was another thing. Where did the Anti-Pearl come from? It certainly wasn't natural. Nothing about these events was natural.

Exhaling, I turned around and walked away from the window to check on Steven again. He was sleeping soundly on the couch, and he wasn't wounded anywhere. I smiled to myself and sat next to him. He mumbled something in his sleep and then curled up beside me. I leaned my head back, attempting to relax my body, but completely unable to silence the thoughts in my mind.

An entire night of distressing contemplation whirred by and it wasn't until Steven began to stir beside me that I realized it was dawn. I slowly stood up, feeling a bit woozy from all the thinking I did over the night.

"Good morning, Garnet." Steven greeted me, stretching and yawning. As soon as he sat up, he moaned and laid down again.

"Five more minutes..." He mumbled. I did not respond, but rather walked outside to get some fresh air. I stood on the beach, staring at the ocean, trying to clear my head. I missed Pearl more than I realized, and I wanted her to come home. There was a nagging feeling deep in my heart that was telling me she wasn't out on a solo-mission, but there wasn't enough details for me to deny it. But then, I felt a sharp blade pierce me from behind.

I screamed with agony, not caring who in the world would hear me. The bite of the blade was like nothing I'd ever felt before, and it felt like my blood had been lit on fire.

"Hello, Garnet."


	6. Darkness

I awoke from a terrible nightmare with a weak gasp. My eyes darted everywhere, and I touched my hands to my face to make sure I was still alive.

"Well, well. Looks like you're awake. Guess what, little bird? Onyx visited while you were asleep, and today's the big day." Hackmansite mocked, grinning at me smugly. My blood became ice. "So I guess you'd better start wishing for your little friend Steven, 'cause the Rose Quartz legacy ends today." She hissed.

"No! Don't let her! Kill me instead! Please!" I pleaded, attempting to stand and jangling my chains noisily.

"Too bad. She'll slaughter all your little friends, and then she'll keep you in here forever. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Well, I think so anyways." Hackmansite snickered.

"No!" I screamed, tears running out of my eyes as I tried to stand again, ignoring the waves of incredible pain that were now searing through my shattered leg. Hackmansite only laughed. She laughed a laugh that I would never forget. A screech that would echo through my mind and only remind me of the blistering insanity that had plagued Onyx's mind since the beginning of the dark day when I first met her. Then I felt it. I felt my hand reaching up to my gem and grasping the cold handle of my spear. I felt its power run through my tired arms. Then the uplifting feeling of hope surging up into my heart.

"What are you doing? Put that down!" Hackmansite commanded, jumping to her feet and spreading her arms out in a defensive position. I pulled my spear forth into the world, admiring its sharp blade. It had been some time since I had summoned it, and having it now gave me a fighting chance. I slipped the blade underneath the locks on my shackles and pulled them loose, freeing both my arms.

"Oh, no you don't! You're not going to escape here!" Hackmansite snarled, dashing towards me. She held her two hands that had Gems in the palms out in front of her, and on these hands a pair of black gauntlets appeared with dark vines protruding from the sides, ending in purple crystals. Time slowed down for a moment as I examined these weapons from a distance. Such a strange weapon fusion.

Then, time sped up and I acted upon my invincible instinct to block her attack with the handle of my spear, then initiate a quick pirouette and slice her downwards. She hissed with fury, jumping back. I drew in an exhausted breath and attacked again. Overestimating Hackmansite's ability, I ran her through with ease. She hissed with pain and tried to land a punch on my face with her brittle gauntlets. The vines whipped at me, landing mild cuts on my skin. Their lashes stung like the bites of a viper, but I forced myself to ignore them and focus on my enemy alone.

"How _dare_ you not play fair!" Hackmansite shrieked, pushing herself off my spear and backing away from me, hissing at me and baring her strange fangs.

"I'm playing more than fair!" I retorted, feeling some of my strength return. With a snarl, Hackmansite rushed me again, holding out her gauntlets with her two lower arms stretched out behind her. She leapt slightly faster than I had predicted, and I felt the force of her punches on my chest. I gasped and fell to the ground, not able to regain my balance quick enough. I yelped with pain and had to use my spear to stand up again. As I did I heard my ribs crunch. Grimacing, I forced myself to stay standing and I held my spear out in front of me to defend against any oncoming onslaughts.

"Oh, my! You're _so_ scary!" Hackmansite ridiculed, walking towards me unhurriedly, the vines on her gauntlets stretching towards me, thirsty for my blood. I drew in a shaky breath, feeling my grip weaken. "YOU'RE GONNA DIE, PEARL!" Hackmansite howled, flashing towards me with her gauntlets outstretched. I gasped and lunged forwards with my spear on blind instinct, and felt it's point make contact with Hackmansite's body. I felt her rancid breath on my face as she took the hit, and the vines on her gauntlets reached hungrily for me one last time before they disappeared into nothing as Hackmansite's power left her.

"Y-y-you little..." Hackmansite choked, coughing blood onto me. Hackmansite locked eyes with me for just a moment before she let out an ear-piercing shriek that made the cellar around me feel like it was going to collapse in on itself and crush me. Then, all at once, the awful scream disappeared, and a plume of purple smoke exploded into the air. I heard clatter of shattering glass as I fell to the ground, feeling my spear disappear before the shock of everything and the pain from my body sent me spiraling into a world of nothing.

GARNET'S POINT OF VIEW

I looked down at my chest, only to see the tip of a black blade among a small pool of blood. "Tsk, tsk. I can't believe you missed that." Onyx's voice scolded me from behind. "I left plenty of breadcrumbs for you to find, and yet you still ignored me."

"Onyx! W-what are you doing?" I asked through a mouthful of blood.

"Just getting you ready for the big event, of course!" Onyx giggled, a wicked look on her face and her eye filled with sadistic intent. "Melon? Melon, dear? Are you there?" Onyx called out to the temple. Then, a Gem that I'd never seen before stepped out of the darkness. Her eyes were completely empty and she was missing an arm where a black gem was placed on her shoulder. "Ah, there you are!" Onyx said gleefully, pushing me off her blade and walking over to meet her. I fell to the sand and just barely was able to stand up again. "Garnet, this is Melanite!" Onyx introduced.

"What are you doing, Onyx? We were a team!" I repeated, summoning my gauntlets.

"_Were_ a team. Not anymore. See, I was the one who said Pearl left. In reality, I have her trapped somewhere. And I was originally going to have _Anti-Pearl_ kill you, but she didn't do it right. So instead, _I'm_ going to kill you? See, see? I was fooling you the _whole time!_" She giggled madly. I knew something wasn't right. I should have trusted my instinct, but instead I was foolish. Foolish.

"Garnet!" Amethyst exclaimed from the house, running down the stairs and drawing her whip. "What's going on here? Onyx, why?" She exclaimed, running to help me.

"Just because. Now, just wait a minute? Two against two? That's not fair! It should be _one_ against two!" Onyx exclaimed, pouting like a child.

"What?" Amethyst asked, sounding perplexed. I glanced at her, sharing her confusion. What form of trickery was this?

"That's...not right..." I whispered, thinking rapidly about the words Onyx just said. But when I looked up again, Onyx and Melanite had undergone a synchronize dance. "No!" I cried, running towards them. However, I reached them too late, and Onyx and Melanite joined hands and a shroud of darkness enveloped the two Gems just as soon as they made contact. The creature that emerged from the darkness in the next moment was utterly hideous. She was slightly shorter than the Opal Fusion and she had three eyes, just as I did. One was a gem and her other gem was where Melanite was missing an arm. 15 feet of evil. A Dark Gem Fusion. It was all over if we lost this battle.

"Prepare to fight, Amethyst!" I exclaimed, holding my fists up. Amethyst nodded. A deep, wicked laugh shattered the air and destroyed my focus in one swift moment.

"Good gracious, isn't this fun? I feel great!" The Dark Fusion exclaimed happily, rising to full height. "Oh, hi there, Garnet! Gosh, aren't you tiny! This'll be great! C'mon, let's tussle! Diopside is ready!" The Fusion shrieked ecstatically, crouching into a battle position and holding her arms out in a wrestling pose. I was not amused in the slightest way. I rushed her, rearing my fist back for a punch. When I released, it felt as if I had punched air.

"Ooh! Good hit! My turn!" Diopside giggled, grabbing me by the arm, swinging me around and sending me barreling into Amethyst. I felt the wind be knocked out of her as I made contact, but I wasn't about to lose to this monster. I threw myself onto my feet for a retaliation, only to see Diopside no longer there.

"Yoo-hoo!" Diopside hooted behind me, and I felt sharp claws dig into my side and send me hurling across the sand. I grunted, forcing myself to my feet again. Diopside was now grappling with Amethyst. "Tum-ta tum tum tum, little purple!" Diopside whooped, blocking every one of Amethyst's hits, then sent her flying across the sand. Amethyst cried out with pain as she landed, and I felt the undying urge to avenge her.

I ran at the Dark Fusion, punching her in the back with as much force as I could put behind a single blow. "Ow! It's not nice to hit someone when they're not looking, Garnet!" Diopside hissed, pouting and throwing me up in the air like a rag doll. "Time for your punishment!" Diopside giggled, reaching up and grabbing me with each of her arms and beginning to pull from every side, as if she wanted to rip me apart.

The Fusion grinned right in my face with a mouthful of sharp teeth as she did, giggling incessantly. Then I saw Amethyst's whip sting the left side of her face. Roaring, Diopside threw me to the side and whirled around to face her new attacker. "Red rover red rover, I call little purple over!" Diopside cried sadistically, dashing towards the purple gem and holding her claws aggressively above her head. Amethyst held her ground and used her whip to trip the Dark Fusion, causing her to crash down in the sand.

"Excellent work, Amethyst!" I praised her, and slowly advanced towards the fallen Fusion with caution. A rumbling growl echoed from the Fusion as she slowly pushed her face from the sand. Onyx's black gem was smeared with the dark red blood that was now leaking from her forehead and mouth.

"Why, _that_ wasn't very nice. No more fair play now, little gemsies..." Diopside hissed, standing up and drawing four massive black swords from the gem on her face.

"Go on, then." I growled, holding up my fists. Diopside let out a cackle, but did not move. "Come on!" I yelled, furious.

"Oh, alright! Here I come!" Diopside grinned, rushing forward with her four blades. I ducked underneath their points and quickly evaded her counter-strike. "Come, come, come! Let's play fair and clean up your mess!" Diopside giggled madly, swiping at me with her blades. I swiftly avoided each hit, then lashed out with one of my own. Putting my muscle behind my punch, I managed to knock Diopside backwards. Amethyst seized the new opportunity, and lashed out three times with her whip, sending Diopside flying to the left. "Ooh! Good!" Diopside smiled, getting up and then beginning to teleport all over the beach to confuse us.

"Stand next to me, Amethyst! Don't let her take advantage of-" I was cut off by the horrendous pain that suddenly had bubbled up in my whole body. I looked down to see her four blades protruding from my chest and lower body.

"Oh no! How saaaaaad. Garnet's got a boo-boo. Let me help you get those out!" Diopside cooed, swinging her blades around and flinging me off their points into the sand. I grunted and found myself unable to move. I pulled in a breath, reaching out my hand to help myself stand up, but only getting a handful of sand.

Then I heard Amethyst scream. "OH, NO YOU DON'T! C'MON, CRAZY, LET'S DANCE!" Amethyst exclaimed, lashing out again and again with her whip. Diopside's grin disappeared a little bit every time Amethyst's whip made a hit.

"You're not playing very fair, purple! Let me take a turn!" Diopside whined, looking weaker and weaker every strike. I laid still for just a moment before I remembered Pearl. This isn't what she would have wanted. I need to be strong. I need to fight for Pearl. I pressed my hands to the ground and pulled myself up, only seeing the red sand below me for a moment as I dashed towards the Dark Fusion. I lashed out with a blind attack that stunned Diopside for a moment while I pummeled her with a barrage of brutal hits. I was done with this. Onyx would never again hurt anyone as long as I was around.

I lashed out again and again with savage punches. My body was numb, and I no longer felt the ache of my exhaustion. The only thing I felt was the damage I was doing at the end of my gauntlets as they made contact again and again with the Dark Fusion's evil face. When my senses finally returned, I staggered backwards, all my strength leaving me. I took a rasping gasp, and my vision cleared. Backing up, I was prepared to see the crushed bodies of the two dark gems. I had won, hadn't I? But instead, I saw Diopside. My blood ran cold.

"Ooh, I am really pumped up right now! What? What are you staring at, hun? Oh, wait! You think you won?! Ha! Ooh, that's funny!" Diopside giggled, slapping her knee and running a long, snake-like tongue over her gem so she could lap up the blood staining it.

"Y-y-you're a monster..." I rasped. Diopside pouted.

"Am not. And just because you said that, I'm gonna do the thing I had planned for last RIGHT NOW!" Diopside hissed before knocking the wind out of me with a single blow then gracelessly changing direction to run towards the house. She was heading for Steven. Gasping, I forced myself to give chase. "Little Steven, little Steven! Come on out!" Diopside called into the house in a singsong voice, kneeling down to look in the window.

"No! Steven! Stay inside! Don't come out!" I tried to stop him from walking right into her clutches. I landed a punch on Diopside's back, but it didn't faze her at all.

"OH, SHUT IT, LITTLE RED." Diopside hissed, pushing me to the side and shoving me into the sand with one claw. I couldn't move. I looked back towards Amethyst, hoping for some help, but found she was completely frozen in place. Neither of us could stop her from getting Steven now.

"Steeeeeeeeeveeeeeeennnn?" Diopside called, tapping a foot anxiously. A moment passed, and no sound could be heard. "Darn it. Well, I'm not gonna have that moment be wasted for nothing!" Diopside grinned, standing up. In a quick flash of movement, Diopside lashed her arms into the door, knocking it off its hinges instantly and reaching her claws around inside the house.

"No, no! L-Let go of me! GARNET! AMETHYST, HELP!" Steven's voice cried. I sucked in a breath and stood up as fast as I could, readying myself for the next few moments. This was going to be a nasty fight.

"Hiya, little guy! I like your Quartz!" Diopside said jovially, gripping Steven's small body with all four of her claws.

"Put me down, put me down!" Steven cried, wriggling desperately to get out of her strong clutch. I took a step forward, and even though Diopside wasn't looking at me, she snapped her gaze onto me and took a step backwards.

"No, no, no, Garnet. You come any closer and I'll rip him in half." Diopside teased, tossing the youngest gem up in the air to reassert her grip on him with two arms rather than all four so she could wag a finger at me.

"Please, please put me down! Garnet! Help me!" Steven screamed, beginning to cry. Tears had already started to stream down his cheeks.

"Awww...come on now, there's no need to cry...Diopside won't hurt you..." Diopside cooed, rocking him in her arms and grinning maliciously into his face.

"Diopside! Put him down! NOW!" I growled, clenching my fists.

"Nope. I won't. And remember. Get any closer, and his blood is mine." Diopside hissed smugly.

"G, it's no use. We just have to do what she wants." Amethyst said hopelessly, dematerializing her weapon and bowing her head slightly with sadness. My anger died down a bit. Was that an option? Were we really considering letting Onyx have what she wants. Yes. We have no choice. She has Steven.

"Diopside...what do you want?" I asked, feeling more powerless than ever. Diopside's expression turned almost instantly.

"Ooh! I'm actually impressed with myself! I've gotten the Gems to surrender," Diopside hooted, jumping up and down. "Now, now. I can't get over-excited! I might just _accidentally_ squeeze the little tyke _to death_!"

I immediately regretted my decisions. All of my decisions. We trusted Onyx. Let her into our home. Just like old times. We didn't even consider her turning on us. Not once. No. I'm wrong. Pearl had suspicions. This was all starting to make sense. I should have trusted my instincts. And now, Steven was being held in the claws of a Dark Gem Fusion who once feigned as our friend, and I was surrendering to her.

It was over.


	7. The Final Stand

I felt powerless as Diopside tied my exhausted body to one of the beach rocks.

"That should hold you in there really nice. Whadda ya think, little red?" Diopside giggled, breathing into my face. Her every breath was rank with the stench of blood. I did not respond, but rather gave her a glare that I hoped she would never forget. Diopside pouted. "Fine. Just give me the hairy eyeball, then. How about you two? Little purple? Tiny pink?" Diopside asked, gazing at Steven and Amethyst who were also tied to rocks. Amethyst's eyes were empty and lost and she simply stared at the sky.

"You're a monster! A MONSTER!" Steven exclaimed, still wriggling to escape from the chains.

"You guys are _so mean!_" Diopside growled, crossing her arms. "At least I'm not locking you in a dark, cold cellar! Oh wait, I already did that to someone we all know and love, didn't I? Tee-hee!" Diopside snickered.

"Shut up!" I growled, feeling my eyes tear up. She was talking about Pearl. I knew she was. Diopside simply stared at me with a fearless look and said two words that turned my vision red.

"Make me."

I growled, thrashing and punching at the chains with all the last drops of my power. I wouldn't let her win. Never.

"Whoa, now, little red! You still got some fight in ya, huh?" Diopside cackled, stepping forward. "Let's see you get out of there. I wanna see you try."

Then, I felt the chains come loose. I threw my fist out against the bindings and felt the rushing satisfaction of breaking free.

"Oh dear! Those chains were _hard to make_, red!" Diopside growled, immediately running at me with a flash of snake-like movements. This was it. This is my final stand. If I am to fall here, I won't fall without a fight.

"Bring it, you blood-sucking demon!" I insulted, bringing my gauntlets into form. Diopside screeched, then lashed out at me with her claws. This time I was ready. Ducking under each of the sharp, black points, I rammed into her gut with all the force I could muster into my left fist, and sent her hurling backwards into another rock. Diopside let out a hurt grunt, and this sent a wave of hope through me. I was winning.

"Y-yowch..." Diopside coughed, struggling onto her feet to face me. I stood ready with my fists raised threateningly. Diopside's grin faded as she readied herself for a charge. "Ready! Set! HERE I COME!" Diopside roared, dashing towards me. Acting on instinct, I ducked, rolled, and uppercut Diopside square in the chin. The Dark Fusion obviously didn't expect it, giving me the chance to land a devastating kick into her chest.

Puffing out a last breath, the Dark Fusion stood standing for a mere moment before collapsing into the sand. I backed away from her and hesitated a moment. Just to make sure she was truly defeated.

"Garnet! You did it!" Steven exclaimed from the rocks. Turning around, I walked over shakily and broke the chains binding Steven and Amethyst to the rocks.

"T-Thanks, G..." Amethyst said, standing up and smiling at me. As soon as Steven was free, he ran to me and hugged my legs.

"Thanks so much, Garnet. That was so scary..." Steven said with a wavering voice.

"What a nice reunion...I think I might cry..." I heard Onyx's sarcastic voice rasp from where I had left Diopside. I turned back and approached her, keeping a dark glare steady on my face.

"T-t-that was hardly fair..." Onyx coughed, bleeding everywhere. "M-Melon? Did you think that was fair?" Onyx asked, looking over at the emotionless gem, whose eyes were wide and she seemed frozen in time. I felt my blood boil with anger.

"Be quiet! Where's Pearl?" I growled, grabbing her by the collar of the coat and staring right into her face.

"T-too bad, Garnet...you'll never know where I left Pearl. She'll stay in my little hiding place forever and you can't do anything about it. Think about that while you sit here, coloring the sand red as you bubble my gem. I hope you're happy killing...I always was." Onyx hissed, grinning one last time as she spit blood onto my glasses.

A flare of wrath burst inside of me. I threw her back down onto the ground and threw my fist forward for one last attack. A hiss rang out through the air for only a moment before a blast of black smoke assaulted my nostrils. Onyx was gone. Just next to me I heard the same sound as Amethyst defeated and bubbled Melanite. Reaching my hand out, I felt magic float through my fingertips in the form of a sparkling pink bubble that kept the blood-stained gem trapped. Tapping it once, Onyx's gem disappeared. Sucking in a gasp of air, I fell to my knees, and took heed to Onyx's final words. "What about...P-Pearl...?" I panted, looking up at Amethyst.

"I don't know, G. I don't know." Amethyst said sadly, gazing off into the distance.

PEARL'S POINT OF VIEW

"Peeaaarrlll..." Onyx's voice echoed.

"Peaaaaaaarrrrllll..." Her voice echoed again.

My body twitched once as my eyes opened to darkness. While my strength slowly returned, my skin was greeted with freezing cold air. I coughed, then scrambled to my feet. Pain shot through my broken leg. Crying out, I nearly collapsed. Barely keeping myself standing, I pressed my hand against the frozen wall and limped to the steel door. I pulled on the handle with as much strength as my fatigued arms could gather, but only felt as my fingers slipped off the frozen steel. I cursed under my breath, and my mind began to race for a solution. I pushed on the door once, then felt it budge slightly. I tried again with a bit more force. Then, the answer became clear.

Inhaling, I focused my mind as I instinctively reached my hand to my gem. I _had_ to summon it again. So much depended on it. When I felt my hand grip the handle, I sent my relief in the form of a prayer to Rose. I pulled the blade out into the darkness, and it's handle immediately became as cold as the air around it. Holding it backwards, I slammed the blunt end of the staff into the door. The steel frame creaked loudly, but it was visibly moved. I drew in a breath and struck again. The rusted steel groaned stridently. I rested a moment, then sucked in another breath.

Pulling back my arms as if they were springs, I lunged forwards with my spear, crashing into the door with all the strength I had left. With a deafening screech, the door released from its hinges, letting bright sunlight escape into the dark cellar to assault my senses. All at once, the world outside came pouring in. The sounds and aroma of the outside world refreshed me. I could smell the warm summer breeze and the wind from the sea, cleaning out the horrid stench of death that hung heavy in the cellar. I fell to my knees, feeling tears of joy well up in my eyes. I was free. Finally free. Using my spear as a cane, I limped on my broken leg out onto the sand.

Seeing the beach and ocean laid out before me was such sweet relief, I almost felt tempted to rush into the water and cleanse the dry blood from my skin. I hobbled slowly out into the open and inhaled slowly. The fresh air was reviving, and the sunlight quenched my thirst for warmth that I so badly yearned for. But there was no time for that. I moved as quickly as I could towards the temple. My heart was determined to make sure Steven was still alive. I rushed as fast as one leg could carry me across the sand towards the lighthouse that loomed above the horizon.

The temple was not far from the cellar, apparently, but when I saw three familiar shapes, I forgot everything. Parts of the sand were stained with blood, and Garnet and Amethyst looked well-battered. Steven was completely unharmed, and my heart ached to run up and give him a hug. But then I saw Garnet, and my heart jumped into my throat. She looked wounded, but otherwise perfectly alive and breathing."G-Garnet!" I cried, limping out over the sand towards her. She looked up from the sand and gazed my way. Her expression immediately lit up as she saw me.

"Pearl!" She responded to me from across the beach, as she rose to her full height and strode across the sun-baked sand. When we finally met up, after a long month of darkness and despair, I kissed her. I kissed her with all the sadness and longing that I had bottled up over the thousands of years I had known her for. Today was the day I would let it out. The darkness of Onyx's cellar was the only thing that had made it possible. The only thing that would ever made me courageous enough.

I kept my eyes shut against the world, and Garnet's expression would forever be unknown to me. I cared not what Amethyst and Steven would think, all I knew was that it wasn't too late for us. She stood stiff as a statue as I matched our lips, but in time she melted into me, throwing her strong arms around my tired body, keeping me standing.

We were free.

_Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading this, I really had fun writing this fanfiction and I really hope you all liked it! But do keep in mind..._

_They're not gone yet...ehehehehe..._

_~Stohne Rohse_


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